Posterboy
by edmundblack
Summary: /Look, look, it's the Boy Who Lived!/It's two days after Ginny's seventh birthday, and the Weasleys go to Diagon Alley. But the twins can't help but making trouble, and Bill has to step in.


**For the New Year's Resolution Challenge – Write a Kidfic, and the Greek Mythology Challenge - Artemis, both found on HPFC**

I spot the boy a million miles away, holding Mummy's hand tightly. Emerald eyes, black hair and a brave smile, with '_The Boy Who Lived' _written under it. Mummy says it isn't really him, that the boy lives with some of his family, and I can tell it's just a drawing, but I want it.  
>"Mummy!" I cry out, jabbing my finger in the direction of the poster, "Look, look, it's the Boy Who Lived!" The summer heat wavers over us and I cross one of my fingers – my birthday was two days ago, on Thursday, but Mummy and Daddy are taking me shopping today because Daddy was working.<p>

"Wicked," Ron beams, and he's a fair bit taller than me, even though he's only eight. Fred and George stand behind the two of us, and I feel one of them – Fred, probably – tap me on the shoulder.  
>"Who was that?" I shout, whirling around and pulling my hand out of Mummy's grip.<br>"Don't get all angry at us!" George protests.

"Yeah," Fred adds, "We're going off to Hogwarts at the start of next month."  
>"Don't be mean to us!" George cries.<br>"We could die on the way there, and then you'd be missing your favourite brothers."

I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, and it's Bill, who is glowering at the twins. "Don't worry, Ginny," He says softly, "I'm Head Boy, I'll make sure they stay in line. I have to look after First Years, after all."

"I will too!" Percy rushes forward, ducking under Charlie's arm so that he's next to Bill and in front of the twins. "I'm a second year, so I can keep them in line. I'll help _you, _Bill."

I feel a pang of jealousy in my stomach. It's not _fair. _Now I'll get stuck with Ron, and he can be really annoying sometimes and he's nowhere near as funny as Fred and George are. I pout a little, but turn my head away so Charlie doesn't make fun of me. We advance up the street and Daddy starts jumping up and down excitedly, pointing madly at the little muggle machine on the side of the street that the muggles use to get Wizarding money.

"Look there, Ginny!" Daddy says excitedly, "They're _muggles. _You know, I could always get you some little muggle toys, I go out into that world quite often for my work, and-"

"_Arthur," _Mummy says warningly, in the tone she uses when Fred and George are being mean to me or Ron or Percy. Daddy shrugs at her.

"I know what I want." I declare, my eyes still locked on the poster in the window of Flourish and Blotts. Mummy reaches back out for my hand and takes it, squeezing it tightly.  
>"Do you just?" She beams, "Well, go on then, but mind you, it can't be anything to expensive."<p>

"Well," I swallow, wondering what the price is. "I want that poster."

But I really shouldn't have said that.

Fred pushes Bill and Percy out of the way, and nearly knocks over Ron, who stumbles and mumbles, "Merlin's pants!", and grabs my hand.

"Really?" He says, spinning me around, and my shoelace snags on a rock. I jiggle my leg to break free of it, but Fred lets go of me and I nearly slam into the ground, but George catches me.

"Has Ginny already got a _bwoyfwiend?" _George teases, his face looking odd because he's leaning over me upside-down. I blush furiously, anger pulsing inside of me.  
>"No!" I shout, spitting at him. George grins, and pushes me upwards.<p>

"I think you do!" Fred sings in joy, sounding a bit like a girl. He grabs my waist and pulls me close to him, my neck swinging around until it hurts. He looks me dead in the eyes, with a serious expression, and whispers something in my ear. "Draw me, Mr Potter, like one of your French girls."  
>"Ew!" I yell, kicking wildly until Bill grabs me, fingers digging into my shoulders, and drags me out of Fred's grip. I snuggle into his stomach, tears stinging my eyes. I <em>don't <em>like him, I don't like any boys except for my nice brothers Bill and Percy. I hear Mummy faintly in the background, yelling at them for being 'hooligans' and 'disrespecting me and the other people in the street'. But somehow I don't think it'll bother them, not at all. They never care if they're in trouble.

Bill starts stroking my hair and despite the heat I cling to him, because he's nice and warm and smells like biscuits. Bill never makes fun of me, and he always knows how to cheer me up.

"Are you okay, Ginny?" He asks. I nod.  
>"I guess. Why are they being so mean about it? They don't care if I get posters of Quidditch Players or something, so why do they care about Harry?" I ask angrily. He laughs a little, but not in a bad way.<br>"Oh, I don't know – they're always making fun of people, they just like having a laugh. But you should see what they've done to Ron before." Bill says wisely.

"I remember the teddy bear!" I protest. I'm not _that _little, and Ron's only a year older than me – he's not like Bill where he had a whole life before I was born.

"I _know _you remember that," He kisses me on the forehead, "Because you _are _a big girl, now. You're seven." He pauses, and looks around, and I stare up at him, wondering what he's thinking about. He drops his voice to a whisper, "You know, we could go and get the poster, as a present from me to you, how about that? And Fred and George don't have to know anything about it."  
>"Really?" I ask, wide-eyed. Bill <em>never <em>spends money on anything, even though he works over the summer and studies and everything. He says that he's saving it for something important.

"Really." He nods, and pulls himself out of the hug, but he still takes my hand, "I don't think Mummy will mind, do you?"  
>"No," I shake my head.<p>

"Come on, then!" He grins, taking my hand, "We're going on an _adventure_!" He breaks into a run and I follow him, grinning.  
>He is the best brother <em>ever. <em>


End file.
